QB Colin Kaepernick salutes some fans after the 49ers won in New Orleans. (US Presswire)

The Saints were good enough to climb out of an 0-4 hole and get back to .500 at 5-5, controlling their own playoff destiny by kickoff against the 49ers on Sunday. They weren’t good enough to overcome two pick-6s on consecutive Drew Brees passes, losing 31-21 at the Superdome.

San Francisco (8-2-1, 2-0-1 NFC West) scored a touchdown in the final minute of the first half on LB Ahmad Brooks’ interception return to tie the score at 14, drove for another TD to start the second half and got another interception return from safety Donte Whitner on Brees’ next pass to go ahead 28-14.

The Saints (5-6, 1-2 NFC South) had to fight uphill the rest of the way, and the 49ers defense was too tough. San Francisco QB Colin Kaepernick followed a brilliant performance in his first career start against Chicago with a solid day in his first road start in the deafening Superdome.

San Francisco remained 1½ games behind Atlanta for the best record in the NFC and increased its lead over Seattle in the NFC West to 2½ games.
New Orleans Saints

New Orleans, trying to become only the second team since 2002 to get above .500 after starting 0-4, fell to 5-6 and remained a game out of the final playoff spot.

When the game turned: The Saints were ahead 14-7 late in the first half and had a chance to stretch it after a Patrick Robinson interception of Kaepernick. With the ball at the New Orleans 44, Brees never saw Brooks on an in route to TE Jimmy Graham. Brooks stepped in front of the pass and scored on a 50-yard interception return with 22 seconds left. The swing was monumental. The 49ers drove 80 yards on six plays for a TD to start the second half, and Whitner returned Brees’ next pass for a 42-yard score on a ball that glanced off wide receiver Marques Colston’s hands. A game the Saints had been controlling swung completely in a span of less than five minutes.

Highlight moments: No one was catching Brooks after he read Brees’ pass to Graham perfectly late in the second quarter. Brees came the closest, but was nowhere near getting to him. … Whitner’s TD return on his interception came after Colston got upended after getting both hands on the ball on a high pass over the middle. Whitner headed toward the 49ers sideline and followed his blockers to the end zone.

Record-breaker: Colston set a Saints record for career TDs with his 56th in in the second quarter, catching a 10-yard Brees pass in the back of the end zone. Colston passed former RB Deuce McAllister. He did not get to enjoy it for long, though, taking a nasty fall on his head on the play that ended in San Francisco's second TD interception. He was tested for a concussion but cleared, returning to the game.

Top-shelf performances:

  • 49ers OLB Aldon Smith -- 1½ sacks, fastest player in NFL history to get to 30 career sacks

  • 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick -- 16 of 25 for 231 yards, one passing TD and one rushing TD

  • 49ers LB Ahmad Brooks -- 1 ½ sacks, 5 tackles, 1 interception return for a TD

  • 49ers TE Delanie Walker -- 3 catches, 81 yards, including a 45-yarder that set up the clinching FG.

What they said:

  • 49ers S Donte Whitner on the 49ers defense -- “When you play us, you are going to get hit. That’s our identity –smart, hardnose, physical football.” --
  • 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on Brooks’ interception return for a TD -- “It looked like he was shot out of a cannon after he got to the ball.”
  • 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh on why he started Kaepernick over Smith -- “The injury and the fact that Alex (Smith) had symptoms seven or eight days after (his concussion against St. Louis). I’m not going to put a guy out there who has symptoms like he had.”
  • 49ers LB Ahmad Brooks on his interception return for a TD off of Brees -- “I was right there. It was kind of like he just threw it right to me.”
  • Saints interim coach Joe Vitt on whether Brooks’ interception was the game-turner -- “Absolutely not. It’s one play at a time, one series at time, one quarter at a time, one half at a time. If we let one play affect us the rest of the game, we’re unprofessional.”
  • 49ers QB Alex Smith on the decision to start Kaepernick over him -- “Obviously I want to play, I want to start. I think I should but it’s not my decision. I’m part of this team and it’s great to go out and get a win.”

Numbers you should know: The Saints held an opponent below 400 yards for the first time this season. The 49ers finished with 375. … It was the first time the 49ers returned two interceptions for TDs in the same game since 1995. … The 49ers had five sacks, all in the second half. The Saints had given up four sacks in their previous five games.

Injury updates: 49ers WR Kyle Williams (knee) and RB Kendall Hunter (ankle) were injured on the same third quarter play and taken to the locker room on a cart. Neither returned. … Saints WR Lance Moore left in the fourth quarter after taking a blow to the head but returned on the next series. … Saints OT Bryce Harris left with a knee injury in the first quarter and did not return, forcing New Orleans to play the rest of the way with William Robinson, whom they picked up Tuesday. Normal starting RT Zach Strief (groin) and normal backup Charles Brown (knee) were inactive.

Going forward: The Saints have to turn around and play at the Falcons on Thursday in a game they need desperately. They actually did not lose any ground in the playoff race because the three teams a game ahead of them lost -- Seattle, Tampa Bay and Minnesota. … San Francisco plays at St. Louis and will look to avenge a stunning tie at home two weeks ago when the 49ers came out flat.

Follow Saints reporter Guerry Smith on twitter@CBSSaints.

Follow 49ers reporter Kyle Bonagura on Twitter @CBS49ers and @KyleBonagura.